“This is a strange note for Ben to receive,” she said to herself.  “I wonder what it means?”

Of course, she had no idea of the character of the place indicated, but was inclined to hope that some good luck was really in store for her young secretary.

“He will be likely to tell me sooner or later,” she said to herself.  “I will wait patiently, and let him choose his own time.  Meanwhile I will keep the note.”

Mrs. Hamilton did not see Ben till the next morning.  Then he looked thoughtful, but said nothing.  He was puzzling himself over what had happened.  He hardly knew whether to conclude that the whole thing was a trick, or that the note was written in good faith.

“I don’t understand why the writer should have appointed to meet me at such a place,” he reflected.  “I may hear from him again.”

It was this reflection which led him to keep the matter secret from Mrs. Hamilton, to whom be had been tempted to speak.

“I will wait till I know more,” he said to himself.  “This Barnes knows my address, and he can communicate with me if he chooses.”

Of course, the reader understands that Conrad was at the bottom of the trick, and that the object was to persuade Mrs. Hamilton that the boy she trusted was in the habit of visiting gambling houses.  The plan had been suggested by Conrad, and the details agreed on by him and his mother.  This explains why Conrad was so conveniently near at hand to see Ben coming out of the gambling house.

The boy reported the success of this plan to his mother.

“I never saw a boy look so puzzled,” he said, with a chuckle, “when he came out of the gambling house.  I should like to know what sort of time he had there.  I expected he would get kicked out.”

“I feel no interest in that matter,” said his mother.  “I am more interested to know what Cousin Hamilton will say when she finds where her model boy has been.”

“She’ll give him his walking ticket, I hope.”

“She ought to; but she seems so infatuated with him that there is no telling.”

“When shall you tell her, mother?”

“I will wait a day or two.  I want to manage matters so as not to arouse any suspicion.”

CHAPTER XXIV BEN ON TRIAL

“Excuse my intrusion, Cousin Hamilton; I see you are engaged.”

The speaker was Mrs. Hill, and the person addressed was her wealthy cousin.  It was two days after the event recorded in the last chapter.

“I am only writing a note, about which there is no haste.  Did you wish to speak to me?”

Mrs. Hamilton leaned back in her chair, and waited to hear what Mrs. Hill had to say.  There was very little similarity between the two ladies.  One was stout, with a pleasant, benevolent face, to whom not only children, but older people, were irresistibly attracted.  The other was thin, with cold, gray eyes, a pursed-up mouth, thin lips, who had never succeeded in winning the affection of anyone.  True, she had married, but her husband was attracted by a small sum of money which she possessed, and which had been reported to him as much larger than it really was.